\section{Introduction}
\subsection{What is an RTS?}
\frame
{
\frametitle{Real-Time Strategy games}
\begin{block}{``Real Time''}
	\begin{itemize}
		\item {Games which do not progress incrementally in turns} 
		\item {Time passes continuously}
	\end{itemize}
\end{block}

\begin{block}{``Strategy games''}
	\begin{itemize}
		\item {Wargames}
		\item {The aim is to win, achieving tactical and strategic objectives} 
	\end{itemize}
\end{block}

\note{
Kind of computer wargames\ldots {\bf ``Real-Time''}

They are games, so\ldots {\bf ``Strategy games''}

\ldots That means long and short term objectives. Usually military objectives as
economic and combat management, respectively.
}
}

\frame
{
\frametitle{Typical actions}
\begin{itemize}
	\item {Create additional units and structures during the course of a game}
	\item {Guide units to secure areas of the map} 
	\item {Destroy the opponents units}
	\item {Cooperate with other players}
	\item {\ldots}
\end{itemize}

\note{
{\bf video !!!}

Now, I will show a video about an RTS game.

In this video we can see a battle example.


{\bf During the first video:}

As in other wargames, the typical actions that we can fulfill are, for
example\ldots

In fact, this video shows an example of what we could achieve in an RTS game.

{\bf second video:}

And this other video shows what we have achieved for the moment
}
}

\frame
{
\frametitle{Do not be confused with...}
\begin{itemize}
	\item {City-building games} 
	\item {Construction and management simulations}
	\item {Real-time Tactics games}
	\item {\ldots}
\end{itemize}

These are not wargames and/or the aim of these games are not to achieve long
term objectives.
}


\subsection{Justification}
\frame {
\frametitle{Why to use a RTS for Multi-Agent research?}
\begin{itemize}
	\item<1-> They provide a controlled testbed
	\item<2-> It's an environment where adversarial and cooperative behaviors can be
		tested
	\item<3-> It can easily mimic real scenarios like in Serious Games
	\item<4-> They can be used without much modifications in the multimedia
		industry (aka video-games)
	\item<5-> Complex behaviors, planning and organization schemas can be
		tested to accomplish a given goal
	\item<6-> Games are fun!!!
\end{itemize}

\only<7>{As chess was the \emph{drosophila} of classical AI, Real Time Strategy
games could
be the \emph{drosophila} of Multi-Agent systems}
\note{
Due to the parallel and concurrent nature of the multi-agent systems, using a
RTS where actions are reproducible is of great help when developing and testing.

For the non war-games scenarios, for instance our opponent can be Nature
governing a fire, or mob simulations, etc.
}
}

\subsection{Comparison of different platforms}
\frame
{
\frametitle{Show, the different platforms}
\begin{block}{Starcraft}
Robust commercial RTS game, has various expansions, Windows and MacOS only,
designed for entertainment, it has a professional league.
\end{block}

\begin{block}{ORTS}
Free Software (GPL) RTS game engine, community maintained. Even it is said that
it's multi-platform, it works better with Linux (other versions under
development). It's designed for research. 
\end{block}

\begin{block}{SpringRTS}
Free Software (GPL) RTS game engine, community maintained, multi-platform , designed for entertainment but easyly configurable.
\end{block}
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\note{
Starcraft is well known game which has a vast numbers of users. This game was released on 1998, and until this days it has a good health a is in very good consideration. Starcraft has been considered as the game that has raised the level of the quality of RTS. It's multi-player part is so important that in South Korea there's a professional league.

ORTS is a programming environment for RTS games and since 2006 it has been developed to be interesting to players and to AI developers, is not as common as Starcraft is but it has an important group of users.

SpringRTS is an engine to support different games, initially it was created as a 3d version of the game Total Annihilation.
It has the option to integrate skirmish AI, create multi player games, create maps, etc.
}
} 
\frame
{
\frametitle{Really AI research?}
Even that are games, they are not just for having fun, they are an excellent
playground to investigate different areas of AI. And also there are international competitions like:
\begin	{itemize}
\item<2-> 4th ORTS competition held this year 8.11.2009 - 8.17.2009
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Collaborative Pathfinding
		\item Strategic Combat
		\item Complete RTS Game
		\item Tactical Combat
		\end{itemize}

\item<3-> StarCraft AI Competition 10.1.2010 - 10.15.2010
	\begin{itemize}
		\item Micro-management
		\item Small-scale combat
		\item Tech-limited Game
		\item Complete Game
		\end{itemize}
\end{itemize}
\note{
\scriptsize
ORTS
Before 2006 first competition

Game 1: Collaborative Pathfinding (20 workers gather resources)

Game 2: Strategic Combat (5 bases, 50 tanks)

Game 3: Complete RTS Game (economy, fog-of-war, small techtree)

Game 4: Tactical Combat (20 siege tanks + 50 marines each, flat terrain)
\\
Starcraft encourage submission of bots that make use of advanced AI techniques. Some ideas are:

Planning

Data Mining

Machine Learning

Case-Based Reasoning

This competition is for the expansion pack Broodwar that enables the development of custom AI for StarCraft. A C++ interface enables developers to query the current state of the game and issue orders to units.
}
}

\frame{
\frametitle{Our decission}
Although ORTS and Starcaft have an AI competition, we finally decided to work with \textbf{SpringRTS}.
\\\textbf{Starcraft} was discarded because of it was not a free software and also because it is not available for all the platforms.
\\\textbf{ORTS} even this one is free, the lack of stability with windows based
platforms made us to discard this option to.
}

